Bat for games such as table tennis



March 28, 1939. E. w. BURNARD BAT FOR GAMES SUCH AS TABLE TENNIS Filed March 29, 1938 A TTORVEV Patented Mar. 28, 1939 iUNITED STATES PATENT OFFiE 7 ,G'laims.

This invention relates to improvements in a bat for playing table'tennis andsimilar games, in which the ball is'struck-by either opposite surface of a relatively wide,-fiat body portion, and it has for one object to afford a structure-possess-' ing ball contacting surfaces ofgreater resilience and friction and constructed so as to impart increased spin to a ball, and better controlled ac- 7 tion than with the conventional types of bat. now

in use.

In a more particular aspect, the invention has for its purpose to provide the contacting surfaces with underlying layers of sponge rubber or other suitable resilient material located under the outer covering or facing material, while at the same time afiording a bat of light weight and maximum strength and durability.

Still an additional object of the improvement is to provide an improved handle construction which is so formed as to properly position the thumb and index finger, and to enable the player to grasp the bat firmly and with great ease and comfort.

Another purpose of the invention is to afford a handle construction that makes it possible for the player to'grip the bat in a freeand natural fashion while maintaining a tight hold, and by affording a light weight construction with increased friction and cushioning at the point of contact with the ball, to enable a player to attain skill readily and without excessive fatigue or strain.

An additional purpose of the invention is to provide a construction that can be manufactured at a reasonable cost; and that will successfully withstand the wear and shock to which-such a device is subjected.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, the novel features being pointed out in claims following thespecification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a bat 'constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, looking at the thumb-engaging side thereof, the recess and resilientinsert being indicated by-a dotted line;

Fig. 2 is a similar view looking at the opposite or index finger-engaging side of the bat;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partially in section;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 1 with the handle broken away, and showing the recessed body portion withthe resilient insert and facing-removed, and

Fig. 5 is a view similar opposite side of the bat.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, in which like reference numerals refer to the same to Fig. 4 looking at the cut out to afford pockets layers.

players thumb; On 'sidathe body portion is recessed at parts throughout the several views, I designates the body portionwhich is preferably formed of wooden laminations, and it has been ascertained that a seven-ply bass wood can be successfully of a different number of plies or of other wood, or

' suitable material other than wood, may be employed if desired. 2 designates generally the handle portion which in the present instance is also formed of pieces of wood superposed onthe body portion and suitably secured to form an integral structure, or the handle may be of any other suitable material.

The handle is cut away or recessed at its inner end on one side, as indicated at 3 to afford a concave pocket or space at the base ofthe body portion to receive the thumb of a players hand. The part 4 of the handleportion extendsover the body portion at this point as shown, affording increased strength at the junction point betweenv the handle and body portions, and the players thumb rests over thepart i and against the concave surface formed by the recess 3.

" The handle is provided on the other side at its inner end oppositely to said recess 3 with the convex surface 5 to afford a comfortable and convenient brace for the inside of the hand at the base of the indexfinger, it being understood that when the handle is gripped inthe palm of the hand,.the three outer fingers are gripped around the handle, the thumb is on oneside of the body portion in the recess 3 already described, and the index finger is on theopposite or finger side of the body portion against the convex abutment 5. 1 W

In order to impart increased friction, sharper rebound caused by increased rotation of the ball, and consequent deceptive action and more efficient control, the body portion is provided onboth sides with an insert of yieldable resilient material such as sponge rubber, and to make'provision for this, the body portion is recessed or to receive the resilient On the thumbside of the bat, the body portion is recessed to afford a pocket 6 that conforms generally to the outer edge of the body portion except at its inner end where the recess is provided with the inwardly and outwardly extending curved portion l, thereby affording a portion Bof the body that is unrecessed or uncut over the area close to that occupied by the the opposite side or finger 9, the-recess at its inner end'following the lines l0 and H.

- Theedge ll of the recess leaves an unrecessed of the body under the space close to that normally occupied by the index finger of the player. The recesses 6 and 9 may be of a depth of approximately T15 of an inch and or uncut .portion l2 used for this purpose, although laminated wood are adapted to receive the inserts or layers of sponge rubber or other suitable resilient and flexible material, as indicated at l3, the rubber layers on the two sides being of the different shapes indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 in dotted lines and conforming to the recesses 6 and 9 already described.

The resilient or sponge rubber layers may be cemented or' otherwise secured in place in their respective recesses, and M designate the conventional facings or covers of thin rough-surfaced rubber or other suitable material such as conventionally employed in the construction of bats of this character. These facings l4 arecemented or otherwise attached to the underlying sponge rubber layers and to the surrounding marginal portions of the wood body.

If a seven-ply laminated wood is employed for the body portion, the latter is preferably recessed to a depth of two laminations on each side to receive the sponge rubber or other resilient insert, leaving a support of three plies of wood at the center of the body portion. Any tendency of this reduced thickness of the body to weaken the structure excessively is substantially overcome by forming the recesses so that on the thumb side of the bat, the body portion has five plies or laminations extending outwardly to the extremity of the projection 8, and on the index finger side of the bat, the body portion has five plies extending outwardly to the limit defined by the line H.

' It will be understood that the effective area of the bat on each side is determined by the position of the thumb or index finger, the line H on one'side extending approximately parallel to the position of the index finger and as close thereto as is possible for the bat to engage a ball without the latter striking the finger, while on the other side the projecting portion 8 of the bodyof the bat affords a line approximately parallel to the thumb when in playing position on the bat, at a position as close thereto as is possible for the ball to engage the effective area and not contact the thumb.

By forming the contours of the recesses and resilient inserts nearest the handle so as to follow in this general fashion the lines of the thumb and index finger, it is possible to give maximum strength and rigidity to the body portion by retaining maximum thickness wherever possible and still retain resilient bodies in such positions on both sides of the bat as to afford a large effec tive or ball-engaging area.

While the invention has been described with relation to a particular construction, it is not confined to the precise arrangement and details herein disclosed, but this application is intended to cover any modifications or departures that may come within the purposes of the improvement or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A bat for games such as table tennis comprising a relatively Wide, fiat supporting body,

' a layer of resilient material such as sponge rubber secured on both sides of said supporting body,

and an outer covering secured over the resilient material.

2. A bat .for games such as table tennis comprising a relatively wide, fiat body portion havinga recess extending over a' susbtantial part of its surface on both sides, an insert of resilient material such as sponge rubber arranged in said recess, and a covering on each side of the body portion extending over said insert of resilient material and secured to the body portion around said recess.

3. A bat for games such as table tennis comprising a relatively wide, fiat body portion and a handle portion, the body portion having a recess on each side thereof that is spaced from the outer edge of the body portion, said recesses at their inner ends near the handle portion being of irregular formation and conforming respectively to the positions of the thumb and index finger on opposite sides of the bat, inserts of resilient material such as sponge rubber arranged in and conforming to said recesses, and a covering on each side of the body portion extending over said insert of resilient material and secured to the body portion at points around said recess.

4. A bat for games such as table tennis com prising a relatively wide, flat laminated wood body portion having recesses on both sides thereof terminating in spaced relation to the edges of the body portion and leaving a central supporting body of wood, inserts of resilient material such" as sponge rubber conforming in shape to said recesses and secured therein against said central wood body, and sheets of covering material located over and secured to said inserts of resilient material.

5. A bat for games such as table tennis comprising a supporting body, an intermediate layer of residient material such as sponge rubber, and a covering extending over said intermediate layer and secured to the supporting body.

6. A bat for games such as table tennis comprising a relatively wide, flat body portion and a handle portion, the body portion having a recess on each side thereof that is spaced from the outer edge of the body portion, said recesses at their inner ends near the handle portion being of irregular formation and conforming respectively to the positions of the thumb and index finger on opposite sides of the bat, inserts of resilient material such as sponge rubber arranged in and conforming to said recesses, and a covering on each side of the body portion extending over said insert of resilient material and secured to the body portion at points around said recess, said handle portion terminating at its inner end on the index finger side of the bat in a convex surface and on the thumb side of the bat oppositely to said convex surface in a concave recessed portion.

7. A bat for games such as table tennis comprising a relatively wide, fiat laminated wood body portion having recesses on both sides thereof terminating in spaced relation tothe edges of the body portion and leaving a central supporting body of wood, inserts of resilient material such as sponge rubber conforming in shape to said recesses and secured therein against said central wood body, sheets of covering material extending over said inserts and secured to the body portion, and a handle portion that terminates at its inner end on one side in a convex surface adapted to abut against the base of the index finger of a player and on its other side oppositely to said convex surface in a concave recessed portion to receive the thumb of the player. v

ELWOOD W. BURNARD. 

